2023-04-05
The Greens have today excoriated the Liberal Party for their decision to formally oppose the Voice, saying that the party was continuing its legacy of racism and division.
Comments from Greens Leader, Adam Bandt MP:
“The Liberals are a small racist rump sliding into irrelevance,” Mr Bandt said.
“The rest of the country is starting to reckon with its past as we march towards a treaty, but Peter Dutton is trying to ignite a culture war.
“Peter Dutton sat out the apology, and under his leadership, the Liberals have found themselves on the wrong side of history yet again. The passage of the Voice referendum is a crucial pathway towards Truth and Treaty, and its failure would set back these important reforms by decades.
“We will be strongly campaigning Yes at the referendum.
“It’s incredible that the Liberals could have looked at the results in NSW and Aston and decided that the solution was a race-based culture war. They’ve got nothing to offer this country.”
Comments from Australian Greens First Nations’ spokesperson, and Yamatji-Noongar woman, Senator Dorinda Cox:
“I am disappointed, but not surprised, by the Liberal Party’s decision to oppose the Voice referendum. The Liberals continue to stop progress in this country by muddying the waters and pandering to their dwindling conservative base, rather than listening to the communities they claim to represent.
“The Liberal Party are a confused mess, hurtling towards obscurity, losing voters at every turn. Newspoll results today show strong support for the Voice to Parliament which makes this decision more baffling.
“Constitutional recognition has been pursued by First Nations leaders across this country for generations, including Yunupingu who passed away this week. How much longer do we have to wait before First Nations people are recognised as the First Peoples of this continent? How many more of our Old People need to die before we gain this recognition and respect?
“As a Greens member of the Joint Select Committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum, I will ensure that the wording of the referendum meets the expectations of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. I won’t let the wording be watered down by conservatives catering to racist ideologies who want to divide us and hold Australia back.”